September 10, 2024

SATIM Partners with Capella Space to Enhance AI-Driven Object Detection in SAR Imagery (Source: Space Daily)
Capella Space Corp. announced that SATIM, a leader in automatic object detection and classification software, is now a Capella Space Certified Analytics Partner. This partnership allows SATIM to utilize Capella's vast imagery archive to boost its advanced analytics capabilities, delivering enhanced actionable intelligence. The Certified Analytics Partner program enables SATIM to quickly integrate cutting-edge AI technology, which can be deployed efficiently across a broad spectrum of defense and commercial sectors. (9/5)

Launch of West of Scotland Space Cluster (Source: West Scotland Space Cluster)
The West of Scotland Space Cluster, the newest addition to the UK’s thriving ecosystem of regional space clusters, is launched today ahead of Space-Comm Expo Scotland at SEC Glasgow 11-12 September, one of the year’s biggest UK space industry events.

The region is a key hub in the Scottish space sector, operating at the forefront of a European revolution in spacecraft systems, payload manufacture, launch (upstream) and data analysis (downstream) activity. Space companies such as AAC Clyde Space and Spire Global have led the way, building more satellites in Glasgow than any other city in Europe, with other players such as Craft Prospect and Alba Orbital introducing further innovation in the global small satellites market. (9/10)

Analysis: US Military Needs GPS Alternatives (Source: Space News)
Kevin Hause, chief of strategy at Rhea Space Activity, argues that the vulnerability of GPS systems, particularly in military contexts, has been highlighted by RF jamming around Ukraine, yet there is insufficient progress in safeguarding on-orbit assets and developing alternative systems. Proposed solutions, such as celestial navigation, quantum-assisted navigation, and proliferated low-Earth orbit constellations, offer resilience against disruptions.

A GAO report found technical challenges and delays for the Space Force's efforts to modernize GPS. The report, released Monday, found that the Space Force is grappling with technical hurdles in next-generation GPS satellites and ground systems. These challenges have eroded schedule margins, potentially pushing back the delivery of 24 M-code-capable satellites, with jamming-resistant signals crucial for military operations, through the 2030s. GAO also found risks in the development of user equipment, including microchips and cards that process M-code signals. (9/9)

SpaceX Launches Polaris Dawn Mission From Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Space News)
SpaceX launched the long-awaited Polaris Dawn private astronaut mission early this morning. A Falcon 9 lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center at 5:23 a.m. Eastern and placed a Crew Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The four-person Polaris Dawn mission will go higher than any crewed mission since Apollo 17's trip to the moon in 1972. It will also conduct the first spacewalk on a private mission. The five-day mission had been delayed by nearly two weeks because of poor weather forecasts for splashdown off the Florida coast. (9/10)

China Expands Global Partnerships for Lunar Research Station (Source: Space Daily)
China's initiative to establish an international lunar research station has attracted new international partners, marking a significant step in global space collaboration. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) signed a cooperation agreement with Senegal on the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). Additionally, China's Deep Space Exploration Lab (DSEL) formalized memoranda of understanding with 10 institutions from countries including Serbia, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Panama, and South Africa. (9/6)

NASA's Carbon Nanotube Technology Aids Search for Life on Exoplanets (Source: Space Daily)
NASA's development of a carbon nanotube material is poised to significantly enhance the search for exoplanets, some of which may harbor life. This carbon nanotube technology is now being refined for potential use on NASA's upcoming Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). HWO will be the first telescope designed specifically to detect signs of life on exoplanets.

Carbon nanotubes resemble graphene - a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal pattern - but are rolled into a tube. This super-dark material, made of multiwalled carbon nanotubes, forms a vertical "forest" where light enters and gets trapped, converting into heat instead of reflecting. This property is crucial for NASA's instruments, as stray light can hinder the sensitivity of observations. When applied to telescope structures, carbon nanotubes can eliminate much of this stray light, enabling more precise measurements. (9/5)

Chang'e-6 Orbiter Arrives at L-2 (Source: Space News)
The orbiter from the Chang'e-6 lunar sample return mission has arrived at the Earth-sun L-2 Lagrange point. The orbiter set off on an extended mission after delivering samples to Earth in June collected on the lunar farside, and amateur radio trackers have located the spacecraft at the L-2 point about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth. China's space authorities have yet to provide an update on the orbiter and its plans. However, the orbiter's voyage fits into a pattern of China using Chang'e spacecraft for extended missions as tests for future endeavors. (9/10)

NASA Picks Companies to Support Mars Exploration (Source: Space News)
NASA is looking to use commercial services to support its Mars exploration efforts. NASA awarded study contracts earlier this year to nine companies to study how they could provide commercial services such as imagery and communications at the Red Planet. NASA plans to use the results from the studies, expected this fall, to support a long-term Mars exploration program that includes commercial and international partnerships. (9/10)

China Studying Lunar Lava Tubes for Lunar Base (Source: Space News)
Chinese researchers are studying how lava tubes on the moon could be used for development of a lunar base. A series of papers on lava tubes on the moon was recently published in a Chinese journal. The papers examine how the tubes, which are subsurface caverns that could serve as natural shelters, might be explored and incorporated into efforts like the Chinese-led International Lunar Research Station. The papers also suggest to some that China has a more cohesive overall lunar exploration strategy than the United States. (9/10)

Typhoon Damages Chinese Spaceport (Source: South China Morning Post)
A typhoon has damaged launch facilities on China's Hainan Island. The island was hit this weekend by Super Typhoon Yagi, with winds as high as 245 kilometers per hour. The storm reportedly caused damage to launch facilities at the Wenchang spaceport there, but the severity of the damage was not immediately clear. (9/10)

Astronomers Use Artificial Intelligence to Look for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (Source: Space.com)
At a recent conference devoted to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), scientists discussed how AI could be used to examine large data sets to look for signals that might be evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations. Those AI capabilities could allow astronomers to look at much larger parts of the sky rather than target efforts on specific stars, as has been traditionally the approach to SETI. It could also enable searches of different kinds of signals. (9/10)

Gilat Secures $12M in Orders for SkyEdge VSAT Platforms (Source: Space Daily)
Gilat Satellite Networks announced that it secured over $12 million in orders from a prominent satellite operator. These orders are aimed at enhancing the operator's global satellite communication (SATCOM) network using Gilat's SkyEdge family of Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) platforms. The delivery is expected to be completed within the next 12 months. (9/6)

Lynk Global Shakes Up Leadership Amid Ongoing Funding Talks (Source: Space News)
Lynk Global has revamped its leadership team as efforts to raise the capital needed to expand its direct-to-smartphone constellation drag on. Chief commercial officer Dan Dooley was promoted to CEO Sept. 9, taking over from co-founder Charles Miller, who was appointed chairman of its board of directors.

John Olson, a retired Air Force General who most recently served as Mobilization Assistant to the U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations, was appointed president of strategic development. The executive shake-up comes a few weeks after Lynk received a four-month extension to merge with Slam Corp, a publicly listed shell company led by former professional baseball player Alex Rodriguez. (9/9)

Musk, Government Efficiency Expert? That is One Really Bad Idea (Source: Washington Post)
Donald Trump wants to empower Elon Musk to cut waste from the federal government. What could possibly go wrong? Most first-blush criticism of Trump’s typically slapdash proposal, aired in an economic policy speech last week in New York, has focused on potential conflicts of interest if Musk were to head a commission focused on eliminating inefficiencies in Washington. That’s because the certainty of conflicts, not merely their possibility, are many.

NASA is the largest customer for Musk’s rocket-ship company, SpaceX. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regulates an often contentious and dismissive Tesla, Musk’s electric-vehicle company. The Federal Trade Commission keeps watch over Twitter, which Musk bought and renamed X. The Food and Drug Administration plays a critical role in deciding whether Musk’s start-up Neuralink can implant computer chips in the brains of paralyzed humans. Editor's Note: The FAA oversees SpaceX launches, the FCC regulates Starlink, the EPA regulates the development of SpaceX and Tesla facilities, etc. (9/9)

Mission to Jupiter Moon Is a Go, NASA Says (Source: Newser)
NASA on Monday approved next month's launch to Jupiter's moon Europa after reviewing the spacecraft's ability to withstand the intense radiation there. Questions about the reliability of the transistors on the Europa Clipper spacecraft arose earlier this year after similar problems cropped up elsewhere, the AP reports. With the tight launch window looming, NASA rushed to conduct tests to verify that the electronic parts could survive the $5 billion mission to determine whether the suspected ocean beneath Europa's icy crust might be suitable for life. (9/9)

Formation of Super-Earths Proven Limited Near Metal-Poor Stars (Source: Phys.org)
In a new study, astronomers report novel evidence regarding the limits of planet formation, finding that after a certain point, planets larger than Earth have difficulty forming near low-metallicity stars. Using the sun as a baseline, astronomers can measure when a star formed by determining its metallicity, or the level of heavy elements present within it. Metal-rich stars or nebulas formed relatively recently, while metal-poor objects were likely present during the early universe. (9/9)

Quantum Experiment Could Finally Reveal The Elusive Gravity Particle (Source: Science Alert)
The graviton – a hypothetical particle that carries the force of gravity – has eluded detection for over a century. But now physicists have designed an experimental setup that could in theory detect these tiny quantum objects. The problem is, they interact so weakly that they've never been detected, and some physicists believe they never will.

A new study is more optimistic. The team has described an experiment that could measure what they call the "gravito-phononic effect" and capture individual gravitons for the first time.

The experiment would involve cooling a massive, 1,800 kilogram (nearly 4,000 pound) bar of aluminum to a hair above absolute zero, hooking it up to continuous quantum sensors, and waiting patiently for gravitational waves to wash over it. When one does, the instrument would vibrate at very tiny scales, which the sensors could see as a series of discrete steps between energy levels. Each of those steps (or quantum jumps) would mark the detection of a single graviton. (9/9)

Astronauts Would Have Been Fine on Boeing's Starliner During Landing, NASA Says (Source: Space.com)
Despite the issues it experienced on its flight up to the International Space Station (ISS), Starliner's uncrewed landing performed as expected, with the spacecraft touching down precisely as NASA and Boeing had designed for its delayed return. "If we'd have had a crew on board the spacecraft, we would have followed the same back away sequence from the space station, the same deorbit burn and executed the same entry. And so it would have been a safe, successful landing with the crew on board," said Steve Stich. (9/9)

Whither Starliner? (Source: Space Review)
Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft returned to Earth Friday night after three months in space, but without the astronauts who were on it when it launched in June. Jeff Foust reports on NASA’s decision to bring Starliner back uncrewed and its implications for the agency and for Boeing. Click here. (9/9)
 
Starliner Stranding: Commercial Space Partnerships and International Law (Source: Space Review)
NASA’s decision to keep Starliner astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on the space station through early next year poses headaches for the agency and the astronauts themselves. Matthew Ormsbee examines the space law implications of “stranded” astronauts on a commercial mission. Click here. (9/9)
 
NASA and Safety: More is Better (Source: Space Review)
NASA erred on the side of safety when it decided to bring back Starliner uncrewed. Roger Handberg argues that the agency needs to start thinking of backup options if Starliner isn’t a viable long-term option. Click here. (9/9)

Silicon Valley Investor Says Elon Musk Should be Prosecuted for 'Undermining Govt. That's Paying Him' (Source: Fox News)
Silicon Valley investor Roger McNamee called on Elon Musk to be "prosecuted," claiming the Tesla and SpaceX CEO was "undermining" the federal government he does business with by sharing his opinions on X. "You have somebody who runs a really strategic defense and aerospace projects for the federal government who's actively undermining the government that's paying him. And somewhere in that is a legal case that needs to be prosecuted," said Roger McNamee.

McNamee was responding to a hate speech watchdog's report which found Elon Musk guilty of spreading "false or misleading claims about the U.S. election" through his posts on the social media platform, which had garnered "nearly 1.2 billion views." McNamee argued that there should be limitations on Musk's free speech rights because SpaceX has government contracts. (9/8)

Possible Final Change of Command for 310th Space Wing (Source: KXRM)
The 310th Space Wing hosted what may potentially be the last Change of Command Ceremony on Sunday, Sept. 8th, at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The ceremony took place at the U.S. Air Force Academy on Sunday afternoon with a picnic for service members and their families to celebrate Col. Adam Fisher who will assume command of the wing, which is the only Air Force reserve unit conducting space operations. The 310th Space Wing will cease space operations and be inactivated in the next few years as part of the Space Force Personnel Management Act also known as PMA. (9/8)

Explosion in New Zealand’s Space Sector (Source: Newsroom)
Rocket Lab has advertised 59 New Zealand-based jobs in the past four weeks. In a country that has not traditionally identified itself as a hub of space exploration, it shows how the burgeoning industry requires a steady workforce. Academics are highlighting the need to train, retain and maintain a diverse population of space professionals, with competition growing for the best rocket scientists.

Just this week, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol signed a joint statement: recognizing the importance of the economic value of space, it says, both sides are committed to fostering a private sector-led space industry. And the Minister for Space, Judith Collins, has announced New Zealand will join its Five Eyes partners in the grandly named Operation Olympic Defender. (9/6)

Robert Reich Wants the US to Cut Ties with SpaceX (Source: The Hill)
Robert Reich, former Labor secretary under President Bill Clinton and current public policy professor at the University of California at Berkeley, is angry with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Reich has written a column in the UK Guardian explaining why he finds Musk obnoxious and what should be done about it. His suggestion that the United States government cut all ties to SpaceX would be an unmitigated disaster for NASA and the U.S. military.

Imagine a world without SpaceX. The current revolution in commercial space travel would not have taken place. Elon Musk’s rocket company is wildly successful because it has provided launch services that are not only more reliable but degrees of magnitude cheaper than previous rocket companies were able to achieve. (9/8)

Virgin Galactic Solicits Space Tourism Interest in Asia, with Flights Priced at $600,000 (Source: South China Morning Post)
Virgin Galactic is now discreetly soliciting interest in Asia, on the lookout for people with an out-of-this-world sense of adventure matched with an astronomically large bank account for trips on its space tourism flights. For anyone in Asia ready to boldly go where few have gone before, Hong Kong-based luxury travel agent Intriq Journey was recently appointed Virgin Galactic’s agent in the continent. (9/9)

Pakistan Holds Workshop on Space Law, Policy (Source: APP)
The most anticipated two-day workshop on Space Law and Policy, hosted by the National Center of GIS and Space Applications (NCGSA) was held at the Institute of Space Technology (IST), marking a significant milestone in the discourse on space governance and legal frameworks in Pakistan. The event brought together a diverse group of participants from academia, industry, and government institutions to engage in meaningful discussions on critical issues related to space law and policy. Dr. Najam Abbas Naqvi provided a comprehensive overview of the evolving landscape of space law and its importance for Pakistan’s space ambitions. (9/8)